Accessibility within Canvas

Ensuring an accessible and pleasant experience to all users, regardless of disability, is a key focus of Canvas. The Canvas platform was built using the most modern HTML and CSS technologies, and is committed to W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative and Section 508 guidelines.

The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template, or VPAT, is a tool that administrators and decision-makers can use to evaluate Canvas' conformance with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. View more information about the Canvas Voluntary Product Accessibility Template.

Official browser support means that these browsers are actively tested against Canvas code. Canvas may be able to be used in any other browser or screen reader not listed, but official support is not provided. Learn more about supported Canvas browsers.

Canvas Navigation with a Screen Reader

Canvas makes extensive use of ARIA landmark regions. Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) defines ways to make web content and web applications more accessible to people with disabilities. Therefore, the best way to get around in Canvas is to navigate via regions. Within regions, Canvas uses HTML headings, so navigating between headings can be helpful.

Canvas-wide Accessibility Components

Canvas contains several unifying accessibility features that can be found on various pages in Canvas.

Moving Content within Canvas

Wherever drag and drop is used to reorder components, the Move-to option is also available and allows both screen readers and keyboard users to move Canvas content. The Move-to option is available in the following features:

Course Navigation

Modules

Discussions

Assignments

Outcomes

Quizzes

Keyboard Shortcuts

By pressing the comma key, users can view a pop-up window with shortcuts for keyboard navigation. Keyboard shortcuts are available on the following Canvas pages:

Gradebook. Both the default (assignment) Gradebook and the Learning Mastery Gradebook support an individual view, where instructors can view assignments and grades for one student at a time. Learn more about individual view in the Gradebook and Learning Mastery Gradebook.

User Settings. The User Settings page hosts a feature option called a High Contrast Style. When enabled, this feature offers higher contrast in buttons, tabs, and other areas throughout Canvas. Learn how to change user settings.

Chat tool. The Chat Tool has an option to enable audio notifications when new messages are posted.

SpeedGrader. When using Crocodoc within SpeedGrader, Crocodoc annotations are not accessible to screen readers. Instead, instructors and TAs should leave comments for students in the Comments area, which can be read by screen readers.

Accessibility of Third-party (LTI) Integrations

Canvas offers many optional LTI app integrations as part of our commitment to open education. When we review new integration tools, accessibility features are always an important consideration. Unfortunately, as integrations are created by third-party developers and offered to Canvas clients as an optional service, we cannot always ensure that these integrations meet the same standards that we hold core Canvas to. Therefore, if an institution wants to incorporate an integration where additional features may be required, we recommend the institution contact the developer directly with any specific concerns.

Some integrations are non-optional hosted services within Canvas. Any accessibility issues for Canvas-hosted services should be submitted as a help ticket via the institution's support process. We are open to suggestions for new integrations and have an area in the Canvas Help Forums forums for feature requests.

Additional Accessibility Resources

SALSA: (Styled & Accessible Learning Service Agreements) is an alternative to the default Syllabus in Canvas. Salsa is an open source web application being developed at Utah State University.

Significant contributions to this guide were made by:

John Raible: Instructional Designer for the Center for Distributed Learning at the University of Central Florida

Nancy Swenson: Instructional Designer for the Center for Distributed Learning at the University of Central Florida